Canteen type water purifier



March 13, 1956 E, J. woLFER l-:TAL 2,738,105

CANTEEN TYPE WATER PURIFIER Filed May 2l 1951 ZI/EQ d. (ddl/CE@ H0356?"5. 06054/ JNVENTORS HTUQNEVS United States Patent O CANTEEN TYPE WATERPURIFIER Elmer J. Wolter and Hubert S. Ogden, Los Angeles, Caiif.Application May 21, 1951, serial No. 227,346

6 Claims. (ci. 222-139) The present invention relates to an improvedcanteen type water purifier designed particularly for the use ofmilitary personnel and Sportsmen.

The present invention contemplatesthe provision of a new canteenconstruction which contains, in a .unique manner, the Water purifyingmeans so that untreated Water placed into the canteen is automaticallytreated and purified while it is subsequently being dispensed from thecanteen.

An object of the present invention'therefore is to provide an improvedcanteen construction whereby the aforementioned desirable Vresults maybe obtained.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedcanteen of this characterwhich contains water purifying means and is yetof substantially the same size as conventional canteens used heretoforefor the purpose of carrying drinking water.

A specific object ofthe present invention is to provide a uniqueconstruction wherein the water purifying element is coaxially arrangedwithin the canteen to achieve a compact structure.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. organization andmanner of` operation, together with further objects and advantagesthereof, may be best understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

' quart, and is provided with a 2-ineh opening in the top instead of`the normal7s-inch opening usuallyfound in canteens. i

The canteen body is designated by the reference numeral 10A,`.itsopening bythe reference, numeral` 10A, -and This invention-itself, bothas to its the externally threadedflange 10B 'defining such-opening 10Ais usedito releasably mount and secure the assemblydesignated generallyby the 'reference numeralu 11. This assembly 11u is'remov'able'fas -aunit from the canteen case 10,- and includes a water dispensing tube 12whiehis normally sealed from the .atmosphere by the rice For thispurpose the filtering element 14 is assembled on the assembly 11according to the following detailed description.

The filtering element 14 is generally cylindrical,v as shown in Figure3, and is'coaxially mounted with respect to the dispensing tube 12, butspaced therefrom as shown in Figure 2 by the radially apertured mountingcylinder 15.

The ltering element 14 itself consists of a number of flat'iibrous disksassembled together on the perforated aluminum tube 15. The filteringelement 14, together with the tube 15 upon which it is mounted, isreplaceable as a unit.

The filtering unit 14 itself forms no part of the present invention andmay be formed of different materials heretofore found useful forfiltering purposes, and, for example, each one of the disks comprisingthe filtering element may be of felt which encloses filter media suchVas charcoal and the like mixed with other substances. The lteringelement 14 is firmly maintained in place between, on the one hand, theannular ange 17A of the cap 17 and, on the other hand, the cup-shapedapertured stainless steel compression plate 18 which is engaged by thenut 19 threaded on the apertured plug 20, such plug 2d being affixed, asfor example, by welding, brazing, soldering and the like to the lowerend of the drinking tube 12, while the drinking tube 12 is likewiseaffixed to the cap 17 by similar means.

It is noted that the upper end of the tube 15 is flanged and extendsupwardly into-the annular opening 17C in the bottom of the cap 17 andengages the annular cap ange 17D.

An O-ring 21 is disposed between a shoulder on the plug 2i) and thecup-shaped pressure plate 18. Similarly, 0-rings 22, 23 surroundingrespectively the upper and lower ends of the aluminum tube 15 serve toassure the ow of liquid exclusively radially inwardly through thefiltering element 14 and through the apertured portions 15A of thealuminum tube upon which such filtering disks are mounted. The waterthus flowing through the aperturedrportions 15A may enter the internalbore of the drinking tube 12 through the radially apertured portion 12Bof such tube.

A'tube 24 extends generally coaxially with the drink- `ing tube 12 andis bent at its upper end to extend through the aptertured portion 12A ofthe drinking tube 12, so that it is in communication with the radiallyextending aperture 17B in the cap 17. The lower end of the tube 24-hasmounted thereon a check valve 2S in the form of a rubber cylinder, withthe bottom portion thereof flattened to provide normally contacting datportions 25A, 25B.

These flat portions 25A, 25B are Vnormally in contact and v prevent theiiow of water in the direction indicated by the arrow 28. Whensubatmospheric pressures are developed inside the canteen during thedispensing operation, described in greater detail hereinafter, theflattened portions 25B of the rubber'cylinder are caused to separate toallow the flow of air into the canteen for purposes of equalizingpressures, i. e., for assuring atmospheric pressures within thecanteenwhile water is being dispensed therefrom. As 'indicated above,such water, while being dispensed, iiows radially inwardly through theltering element14, `through the apertured portions 15A and out of-thedrinking tube 12.

tiis lobservedthat the-ipresent-device requires the application ofsuction to the drinking tube 12 for purposes of extracting the liquidthrough the filter. To extract the liquid, the user must do two things:(1) tip the canteen, and (2.) simultaneously apply suction to thedrinking tube 12. The general purpose of the check valve 25 is toprevent liquid from flowing over the external surface of the; drinkingtube 12 at the time the canteen is tipped.

The filtering element 14 serves generally to provide ultra-finefiltration, together with adsorption of undesirable odors and tastecaused, for example, by the decomposition of organic matter. Waterpassing through'the filtering element 14 is freed from suspendedparticles, including bacteria, while the adsorption producing materialin the lter removes bad taste and odors, in addition, the filteringelement desirably includes an insoluble antibiotic material,homogeneously dispersed in the fibers of the filtering element, for thepurpose of destroying entrapped bacteria. Flow through the filteringelement 14 is induced by tipping the canteen filled with water and bysucking on the top of the drinking tube 12. At a suction of 2-inchesvacuum, the canteen may be emptied in five to six minutes. Waterdischarging from the drinking tube 12 is bacterially safe for humanconsumption, even though the water in the canteen may be contaminated tothe extent of a number of million organisms per pint.

The efficiency of the filtering element remains at a relatively highlevel until completely filled with the solids which are removed from thewater, and up to the point where liquid no longer passes through thefilter due to the accumulation of such solids.

It is evident from the foregoing description that the filtering element14 is completely replaceable after removing the large cap 17 from thecanteen, and by then removing the nut and compression plate 19 and 1S,respectively, from the plug 20 mounted on the tube 12.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

l. In a canteen of the character described, a canteen case having anapertured portion, a cap reieasably mounted on said apertured portion, asuction drinking tube affixed to and extending generally coaxially withsaid cap into the interior of said canteen case, a filtering elementcomprising a plurality of disks mounted on an apertured tube, saidapertured tube having its upper end extending into an annular opening inthe bottom of said cap and engaging an annular fiange of said cap, meansreleasably secured to the lower end of said drinking tube for pressingsaid filtering element into engagement with said cap, a pressureequalizing tube extending into said case, and a check valve on saidpressure equalizing tube preventing flow of liquid from said case tosaid equalizing tube.

2. In an arrangement of the character described, a canteen case havingan opening, a cap releasably secured to' said case and closing saidapertured portion, a suction drinking tube affixed to and extendingthrough said cap, an apertured plug mounted on the lower end of saidtube and having an externally threaded portion, a filtering elementcomprising disk-shaped elements, an apertured tube upon which saiddisk-shaped elements are mounted as a unit, said cap having an annulariiange the interior portion of which engages the drinking tube and theouter portion of which engages the filtering element tube to therebyspace the same, a cup-shaped compression plate with an apertured portionencircling the threaded portion of said plug, a nut on said threadedportion in engagement with said compression plate to press saidfiltering element between said compression plate and said cap, apressure equalizing tube extending coaxially with and in said drinkingtube, said cap having a radially extending pressure equalizing aperture,said pressure equalizing tube being bent at its upper end and incommunication with said pressure equalizing aperture in said cap, thelower end of said pressure equalizing tube extending through theapertured portion of said plug and having a check valve element mountedthereon preventing the flow of liquid from said case into said pressureequalizing tube.

3. In an arrangement of the character described, a liquid container, asuction drinking tube mounted on and extending within said container,means providing a mounting for mounting the drinking tube on thecontainer, a filter element mounted on and extending within saidcontainer in communication with said drinking tube so that all liquiddispensed from said drinking tube fiows through said filter element,said mounting having an apertured portion communicating with theatmosphere, a pressure equalizing tube mounted on and extending withinsaid container, one end of said pressure equalizing tube communicatingwith said apertured portion, and a check valve in communication with theother end of said pressure equalizing tube preventing flow of liquidfrom said container into said pressure equalizing tube, said valve beingnormally closed when the pressure is equalized.

4. The arrangement set forth in claim l in which said pressureequalizing tube extends coaxially with and inside of said drinking tubewith one end of said equalizing tube having said check valve mountedthereon and with the other end of said equalizing tube being incommunication with an apertured portion of said cap.

5. l'n an arrangement of the character described, a canteen case havingan opening, a cap releasably secured to said case and closing saidapertured portion, a suction drinking tube afiixed to and extendingthrough said cap, an apertured plug mounted on the lower end of saidtube, a filtering element comprising a disc-shaped element, an aperturedtube upon which said disc-shaped element is mounted, said cap having anannular flange, the interior portion of which engages the drinking tubeand the outer portion of which engages the filtering element tube tothereby space the same, a compression plate with an apertured portionencircling said plug, means on said plug pressing said filtering elementbetween said plate and said cap, a pressure equalizing tube extendingcoaxially with and in said drinking tube, said cap having a pressureequalizing aperture, said pressure equalizing tube being incommunication with said pressure equalizing aperture in said cap, thelower end of said pressure equalizing tube extending through theapertured portion of said plug and having a check valve element mountedthereon preventing the iiow of liquid from said ease into said pressureequalizing tube.

6. The arrangement set forth in claim 3 in which said pressureequalizing tube extends coaxially with and inside of said drinking tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS152,397 Messmer June 23, 1874 281,608 Browne July 17, 1883 432,870Gralike July 22, 1890 437,443 Mertz Sept. 30, 1890 780,682 Posch Ian.24, 1905 1,019,171 Melville et al. Mar. 5, 1912 1,062,118 Ritten May 20,1913 2,149,227 Olson et al. Feb. 28, 1939 2,429,321 La Brecque Oct. 21,1947

